Automatic drum-beater for mechanically-operated musical instruments.



W. A. BRAUER.

AUTOMATIC DRUM BEATER FOR MEGHANIOALLY OPERATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1908. 965,435, Patented July 26, 1910.

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AUTOMATIC DRUM BEATEB FOR MEGHANIGALLY OPERATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOATIOK TILED SEPT. 8, 1908. 965,435.

Patented July 26, 1910.

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UNITED STATE; PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM A. BRAUER, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, TIE? YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NIAGARA. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURING CGMPANY, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW

YORK.

AUTOMATIC DRUM-BEATER FOR MECI-IANICALLY-GPER-ATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM A. BRAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Tonawanda, county of Niagara, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Drum-Beaters for Mechanically-Oper ated Musical Instruments, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic drum beaters for mechanically operated musical instruments.

As at present generally constructed, in devices of this character the drum sticks are operated by a positive action which necessitates a continuous contact of the drum sticks with the head of the drum, thus deadening the vibration of the drum head, and such earlier devices have been noisy in the operation of the drum stick actuating parts, if operated by gearing, or if a friction drive is employed, it has been liable to slippage and consequent omission of a stroke of a drum stick now and then.

The present invention seeks to obviate the defects heretofore existing in this class of devices by the provision of a novel mounting. for the drum sticks, in connection with drum stick operating means, arranged in a new manner, whereby the construction is simplified, the length of the stroke of the drum sticks may be regulated at will, and the hammers on the drum sticks are at all times kept out of cont-act with the drum head, except when in actual operation, so that there is no deadening of the blow and the best effect is obtained from the drum head, beside which, a positive action is obtained.

The invention is set forth fully hereinafter and its novel features are recited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view; Fig. 2, a detail view illustrating the hammer and drum stick connection; Fig. 3, a front elevation; and Fig. 4:, a transverse section taken on the line 14 of Fig. 3.

Only so much of the mechanism of a mechanically operated musical instrument is shown as will give a full understanding.

of the present invention.

The snare drum of the instrument is shown at 1 as havlng a drum head 2. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 8, 1908.

Patented July 26, 1910.

Serial No. Z152,065.

numeral 3 designates a small bellows which receives its air through a pipe at which is supplied by the main bellows of the instrument, the air supplied through the pipe 1 being controlled by suitable keys. This bellows 3 constitutes the prime means for controlling the operation of the drum sticks.

The operating mechanism is carried by a frame 5, to which is pivoted a rocker 6 by the shaft 7, said shaft having an arm 8, which is connected by a rod 9 to the bellows 3, so that upon admission of air to said bellows, the rod 9 will be elevated and the rocker 6 tilted against the action of a retracting spring 10, which tends to hold the rocker in retracted position. The drum sticks 11 are pivoted on a pin 12 in independent slots 13, and at their upper ends carry hammers 1 1, which are carried by adjusting screws 15 threaded through the drum sticks. The numerals 16 designate springs cooperating with the drum sticks and anchored to the rocker 6 whose tendency is to throw the drum sticks outwardly against a stop plate 17 on the rocker 6. It will thus be seen that the drum sticks are collectively mounted for rocking toward and away from the drum head 2, but are independently actuable and the hammers there of are independently adjustable.

Mounted in the frame 5 is a shaft 18 carrying star cams 19 and 20 arranged with their teeth in relative staggered relation which are adapted to cooperate with the lower ends of the drum sticks when the bellows 3 is inflated and the rocker 6 tilted, but at other times, the said cams do not touch said drum sticks. The shaft 18 is continuously rotated from a suitable part of the musical instrument by a belt passing around a pulley 21 secured to said shaft.

Normally the shaft 18 is in continuous rotation, but the drum sticks are only operated when appropriate keys of the instrument are manipulated to admit air to the bellows 3, and when this occurs, the rocker (3 is tilted, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 41, whereupon the ends of the drum sticks are positioned for engagement by the star cams and said drum sticks are then alternately vibrated as long as the air supply to the bellows continues, but immediately it is cut off, the spring 10 restores the rocker to normal position and while the shaft 18 continues its rotation, the cams do not vibrate the drum sticks. Inasmuch as the hammers do not remain in contact with the drum head, there is no deadening of the vibration of said drum head and, consequently, the best effect of the drumming operation is obtained. The adjustability of the hammers permits any desired regulation of the blow.

The stroke can be regulated by the amount of air admitted to the bellows 3, thus enabling the operator to obtain any desired effect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. I11 a drum playing device, the combination with a drum stick, of a hammer carried thereby which is adjustable in general transverse relation thereto, and means for operating the drum stick.

2. In a drum playing device, the combina tion with a pivoted supporting frame, of an arm connected to the pivot of said frame, a spring cooperating with the frame, a controllable pneumatic device cooperating with the arm to shift the frame in opposition to the spring aforesaid, drum sticks pivoted to the supporting pivot at a point offset from the pivots thereof, springs independent of the springs aforesaid which cooperate with said drum sticks and are secured to the movable frame, and an actuating shaft and strikers carried thereby located to cooperate with the drum sticks when the frame is shifted by the pneumatic device, the spring which retracts the frame being adapted to hold it in such position that the drum sticks are normally out of operative position.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM A. BRAUER. Vitnesses F. C. STRASSBURG, FREDERICK IV. J. BRAUER. 

